New to treating my 12 year olds ADHD

[mommagof3]

My 12 yearold has ADHD, anxiety, and Failure to Thrive (he is 55 inches tall and weights 66lbs.) He maintains an A/B honor roll but is starting to have several issues with this being his 2nd year in middle school as far as behavior, focus, organization, etc. Due to his weight issue he has decided to try CBD oil (with my blessing) but we don't know where to start with buying and dosing it. Any help would be greatly apprecitated.

[Eclecticentric77]

Hi there, middle school can be a really difficult time for people with ADHD due to the heavy drop of the brain's reward system. I have Inattentive ADHD (none hyperactive), and went through hell in middle, because I had nothing to help me. I got diagnosed in my mid 20s and got treatment and it radically changed my life around. I have studied ADHD for about the last 4 years, and will be obtaining my PhD in psychology within the next 3 years in order to help out many others who struggled like myself. I take a combination of a small dose stimulant medication with supplements to help the medication work to its full potential, help my brain work to a much greater capacity, and to help fight off side effects. I highly advise anyone with ADHD to consider supplements, with or without medication. CBD oil, in my research, is not going to cover all the important areas of difficulty , which is specific low levels of specific neurotransmitters. CBD oil is non psychoactive in comparisons to THC, which is why it has gotten the green light from a lot of people in recent times. CBD Oil from my research is a great helping tool for disorders or conditions that involve involuntary behaviors; things like ticks, spasms, and Tourettes just to name a few. In that regard it can be helpful for people who have Hyperactive ADHD and some with Combined Type ADHD as well. But when it comes to things like planning, organizing, strategizing, prioritizing, getting motivation, and being able to focus, in my opinion and experience...supplements do a much better job. Due to having ADHD, there are multiple neurotransmitters who's levels are low, and this is what can cause a multitude of problems. Stimulant medication takes care of the neurotransmitters Dopamine and Norepinephrine, but there are multiple other important neurotransmitters people with ADHD need to take care of.

Here are some critical neurotransmitters people with ADHD have low levels of.

Dopamine : A neurotransmitter in the brain that affects your levels of concentration, motivation, pleasure senses, and sense of pain.

Norepinephrine : A neurotransmitter and stress hormone that deals with attentiveness, emotions, impulse control, planning ahead, sleep, and interpreting actions of others.

Serotonin : A neurotransmitter that deals with mood regulation, sleep, nervousness, empathy, appetite, digestion, and sexual urges.

Acetylcholine : A neurotransmitter that deals with muscle contraction, pain responses, mood regulation, REM sleep, and coordination.

GABA : A neurotransmitter that deals with anxiety, sleep, and how relaxed or tense the body feels.

if you're interested, you can click my picture which will take you to my profile where theres a link in my bio section of a google doc I made of every supplement I take, and also which supplements help out with those neurotransmitters above. It mentions what grocery stores and online stores (Amazon has all of these supplements a lot cheaper than markets like Sprouts and Whole Foods) sell these supplements, and some information about each of the supplements and how they help out people with ADHD, in case you're interested. Supplements have greatly helped me out, and have also done wonders for some families and individuals I've worked with. But if you're still interested in CBD Oil, assuming mary-jane is legal in your state, you can purchase it at a local dispensary, online, local herbalists, a shaman etc.

[dubstepMaul]

not sure if this applies in your situation, but celiac disease will cause failure to thrive. Might want to look into that.

[anirush]

I asked my grandson's psychiatrist about CBD oil and he said in his experience a lot of times it has made things worse. So be careful.

Middle school is tough we have changed my grand kids medications 2 or 3 times. My 8th grader is doing really well and I think we finally have my 7th grader somewhat stable.

[MsJazzy]

It can be very challenging having a child with ADHD and other associated disorders and conditions. Middle school is tough even for typically developing children, so my heart goes out to your son. I am not familiar with the treatment that you have mentioned. I do know that research shows that a combination of medication and behavior modification works best. There must have been something that you did during elementary school that was effective. What was working in elementary school? Have you considered talking to school professionals? He is on a 504 or IEP? I think that you will need to be very intentional about planning his educational program.